PUBLISHED 01/11/2007
K.B., McMinville, Oregon
Our financial assets seem to be inversely proportionate to the amount of adventure we pack into our days, so we feel your pain. Although generally made of the same materials (nylon, polyester), running-specific shorts are constructed of higher quality fabric, lending greater durability, comfort, and performance. "Quality running shorts will feel lightweight and silky, dry quickly, and look good after lots of wear," says Emily Walzer, a fabrics writer with Sporting Goods Business magazine. "Also, shorts from a specialty shop will likely have a liner or brief made of an odor-control fabric and are constructed with material in the waistband that won't dig."
Discount shorts are a great buy for any new runner or in a pinch when you forgot yours on a business trip, but no serious runner wants to be uncomfortable. That said, we avoid paying retail with the same zest that we avoid full-time employment. Our advice: Go to a road race expo, where there's a good selection of discounted high-quality running gear.
